Murray State softball traveled to Oxford, Mississippi, over the weekend to participate in the Ole Miss Classic hosted by the University of Mississippi from Friday, Feb. 28, through Sunday, March 2.
The Racers started the weekend with a matchup against the Nicholls State University Colonels on Friday morning. Murray State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning before adding another run in the top of the second. The Colonels rallied and cut the Racers’ lead to 3-2 by the bottom of the third inning before Murray State junior first baseman Ailey Schyck hit a home run to extend the Racers’ lead as things headed into the bottom of the fourth inning.
Nicholls State’s bats began to get hot and the Colonels scored eight runs between the fourth and fifth innings. Murray State was able to add one more run before ultimately losing 10-5. Murray State recorded seven hits, three runs batted in (RBI) and allowed 11 hits in the loss.
Murray State’s second game on Friday came against the University of South Alabama Jaguars, in what would end up being a pitcher’s worst nightmare. After a scoreless first inning, the Jaguars put a run on the board in the second inning and followed up with two more in the third. The fourth inning came and went. The score was 3-0.
The Jaguars’ bats started to connect and South Alabama recorded seven runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 10-0. A three-run home run from sophomore third baseman Summer Ray in the fifth inning and a two-run home run from Schyck in the sixth inning cut the Jaguars lead in half as the game went into the top of the seventh inning.
South Alabama scored four more runs in the seventh inning to make the score 14-5 before the Racers began to roll offensively. Murray State earned an astounding nine runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie things up 14-14 and send the game into extra innings. South Alabama scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning and held Murray State scoreless in the bottom of the frame to give the Jaguars an 18-14 win over the Racers. Murray State finished the game with 12 hits, 14 RBIs, seven strikeouts and allowed 22 hits in the loss.
The Racers and Jaguars met again on Saturday, March 1, and the Racers were able to take the lead this time around. Junior utility player Ava Ozment doubled in the first inning to send sophomore shortstop Parker Holcombe home and give the Racers a 1-0 lead. Murray State added to their lead in the fourth inning after senior left fielder Erin Lackey scored from third on a wild pitch and freshman right fielder Katy Huels drove both sophomore outfielder Rylee Webb and Ray to give the Racers a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.
The Jaguars scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning before freshman infielder Hannah Sutton drove freshman second baseman Kenley Minor in to make it a four-run game again. The Jaguars were able to put one more run on the board before losing to the Racers 5-2. Murray State finished with seven hits, four RBIs and five walks in the win.
Murray State faced off against the University of Mississippi in its second game on Saturday, which did not see the same offensive onslaught that the other games the Racers played in at the Ole Miss Classic did. The lone run in the game came on a flyout in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead. That run was all the Rebels needed, as they went on to win 1-0. Ole Miss’ pitcher Aliyah Binford pitched a complete game no hitter. She did allow three walks.
The fifth and final game for the Racers came on Sunday when they faced Nicholls State once again. Lackey stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded at the bottom of the first inning and hit a grand slam to give the Racers a 4-0 cushion to start the game. Neither team was able to put a run on the board until the top of the fourth inning, where the Colonels scored three runs to make the score 4-3.
Nicholls State was able to tie things up in the top of the sixth before Murray State’s bats rallied and scored five runs in the sixth inning. The Racers went on to win the game 9-4 to improve their record at the Ole Miss Classic to 2-3. The Racers earned eight hits, eight RBIs and two walks.
